The present invention relates to cosmetics. More particularly the present invention relates to a method of applying cosmetics to a substrate such as paper stock, plastics, fabrics, or foils.
Further, the present invention relates to microencapsulated cosmetics deposited onto a substrate, suitable for mass distribution through the mails and the like.
Traditionally, cosmetics have been packaged in containers such as bottles, jars, flasks, boxes, and tubes. Cosmetic houses go to great expense in selecting a container type, style and design which provides a competitive advantage in gaining and keeping marketing elegance and appeal or identity of respective cosmetic products. They avoid the restaurant type mustard, ketchup, and sugar packets which would be crushed-open in the mail.
The fragrance houses and cosmetic manufacturers are also searching for new methods of promoting and of distributing cosmetics such as the highest quality, multi-colored types in magazine inserts and or direct mailers. Providing cosmetic products in traditional packaging forms which would be carried via magazine inserts or direct mailers is either impossible or economically unattractive using current technology.
There is also a problem with traditional methods of demonstrating cosmetics at cosmetic counters. Due to the recent concern with communicable diseases, cosmetic wearers are unwilling to sample onto themselves the open cosmetics from a communal dispenser as is customary at a cosmetic counter. To overcome this concern, very small quantities of the cosmetics must be provided in sample packages. Again with current accepted methods this is cost prohibitive.
In the last few years designer houses creating fashionable fragrances have employed pull-apart, or scratch-open products containing printed areas utilizing microencapsulation techniques. Basically, fragrance oils, i.e. "perfumes", are transferred into an encapsulated form which is mixable with water. This is formulated into an aqueous vehicle delivery system which includes water soluble or colloidal binders. Thus the encapsulated fragrance is converted into a non-polluting vehicle type of printable ink or coating. The coating is normally applied as a thin film to a paper surface and an opposing surface is brought into contact with the still wet coating and the laminated areas allowed to dry. The fragrance ink acts as a dry mastik which adheres to both of the opposed paper surfaces, cementing them temporarily together. Co-adhesive strength of the connecting composition or thin coating is very poor. When the two opposing paper surfaces are pulled or jerked apart, the microencapsulation is ruptured and the fragrance is released. This provides a very economical means for fragrance houses to sample and to distribute samples of their fragrances via mass distribution methods. The action of opening becomes a memorable event to the senses.
Unfortunately, this technology cannot be easily transferred to cosmetics. Cosmetics typically are dry or cohesive powders or oily or emulsion type dispersions or easily meltable pastes, such as lipstick, which have a very defined appearance and feel. Any attempt to apply the cosmetic to a substrate for mass mailing must not bleed or leak or stain the substrate nor can the cosmetic itself be altered in its own color, feel or appearance. Unfortunately, the cosmetic cannot be directly applied to the substrate since it will, in the case of powders, simply fall off from the substrate, or in the case of a non-drying paste, remain tacky and rub off on everything it touches. Summertime shipping temperatures for mail or freight which can reach 150.degree. F. and more can destroy such items.
Further, in order for a cosmetic to be attractive as possible when provided on a paper substrate, such as colorful and economical mailers, the cosmetic should be in a form suitable to be applied conveniently by means of using standard printing techniques.
To be printable, the cosmetic must be provided in a fluidized form. It is known to formulate a cosmetic such as blush as a liquid. This is discussed in Murphy et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,859. The Murphy reference relates to one modern method of forming a molded cosmetic powder cake. In this method, the cosmetic is formed as a slurry of the cosmetic, a fatty alcohol and a vaporizable siloxane. This is heated, extruded or poured into a shaped receiver cavity and cooled to form a solidified cake of cosmetic. This is then dried in order to evaporate the siloxane carrier, yielding the proper texture.
The printing process is generally a very rapid process where the printed material frequently reverses direction around small rollers in order to control tension, tracking, flatness, and the like. This requires substantial adhesive strength in the coating applied to the substrate. The slurry of cosmetic disclosed in Murphy is simply deposited into a cavity where it is allowed to dry and set. Once dried, the cosmetic has relatively little adhesive strength and therefore this slurry would not adhere if it were to be printed as an "ink" in the form of a thin film onto a substrate. Accordingly, the material disclosed in Murphy is totally unsuitable for use in preparation of a cosmetic to be deposited onto a substrate.